September 1995 Tommy Dawson, coxswain of North Sunderland lifeboat. Tommy first became a ere w member at North Sunderland in 1927, where in 1939 he became bowman. In 1951 he was appointed second coxswain and in 1955 was appointed coxswain, a post he held until 1971. Tommy received the RNLI's Bronze Medal in 1959..